Google’s Pixel Drop brings great free updates for your Pixel phone, new or old

Google has launched the October Pixel Drop, a free update to Pixel phones, watches and the Pixel Tablet. And this month's drop is a big one, with new features for newer Pixels and some worthwhile updates for older ones too.

The full details are online on the Google blog. Here are the highlights.

What new features are in the October 2024 Pixel Drop?

Audio Magic Eraser is now available for the Pixel 8 phone and newer. Like its photographic equivalent it removes unwanted bits from your media, in this case sounds on your video recordings. You can remove unwanted sounds or reduce their volume, and you can also identify and boost voice sounds.

Underwater photography is for the Pixel 9 range only, with improved underwater photos and videos with richer, more accurate colours.

Astrophotography has been updated for Pixel 6 phones onwards, although it's only partly rolled out so far: Google says that "You’ll soon be able to access the astrophotography feature in the Night Sight slider."

The Thermometer app in the Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL has been improved and now uses your phone's camera to help you more accurately target the item or items you want to measure. Simply point the camera at whatever you want to measure and it'll display the live results on screen. You can save those results to access them later.

The Pixel Weather App is now available for many more Pixel phones: it's coming to the Pixel 6 onwards. And in some countries, including the UK, it now has a pollen tracker so you can see whether you'll need to bust out the Benadryl or pack some Piriton before venturing outside.

Last but not least, there's an easier way to discover Pixel widgets on the Pixel 6 or later. When you long-press the Home Screen to customise it, you'll now see recommended categories of widgets that you can preview before adding to your layout.

There are lots of other enhancements including improved call screening in the UK; theft protection tools; improved privacy as part of Android 15 and context-aware vibration intensity for your ringtones, notifications and alerts for the Pixel 7 or newer. All the new features are rolling out now and should arrive on your Pixel imminently.